STRONGS NT 611: ἀποκρίνω

ἀποκρίνω: (passive, 1 aorist ἀπεκρίθην; 1 future ἀποκριθήσομαι); i. to part, separate; passive to be parted, separated (1 aorist ἀπεκρίθην was separated, Homer, Iliad 5:12; Thucydides 2, 49; (4, 72); Theoph. de caus. plant. 6, 14, 10; (other examples in Veitch, under the word)). ii. to give sentence against one, decide that he has lost; hence, middle (present ἀποκρίνομαι; 1 aorist 3 person singular ἀπεκρίνατο); (to give forth a decision from myself (Winers Grammar, 253 (238))), to give answer, to reply; so from Thucydides down (and even in Herodotus 5, 49 (Gaisf.); 8, 101 (Gaisf., Bekker), who generally uses ὑποκρίνομαι). But the earlier and more elegant Greek writings do not give this sense to the passive tenses ἀπεκρίθην, ἀποκριθήσομαι. "The example adduced from Plato, Alcib. Secund., p. 149 b. (cf. Stallb., p. 388) is justly discredited by Sturz, De dial. Alex., p. 148, since it is without parallel, the author of the dialogue is uncertain, and, moreover, the common form is sometimes introduced by copyists." Lobeck ad Phryn., p. 108; (cf. Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 186f; Veitch, under the word; Winers Grammar, 23 (22)). But from Polybius down ἀποκριθῆναι and ἀποκρίνασθαι are used indiscriminately, and in the Bible the passive forms are by far the more common. In the N. T. the aorist middle ἀπεκρίνατο is found only in Matthew 27:12; Mark 14:61; Luke 3:16; Luke 23:9; John 5:17, 19; John 12:23 (R G L Tr marginal reading); Acts 3:12; in the great majority of places ἀπεκρίθη is used; cf. Winers Grammar, § 39, 2; (Buttmann, 51 (44)).

1. to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer;

a. simply: καλῶς, Mark 12:28; νουνεχῶς, 34; ὀρθῶς, Luke 10:28; πρός τί, Matthew 27:14.

b. with the accusative: λόγον, Matthew 22:46; οὐδέν, Matthew 27:12; Mark 14:61; Mark 15:4f.

c. with the dative etc.: ἑνί ἑκάστῳ, Colossians 4:6; together with the words which the answerer uses, John 5:7, 11; John 6:7, 68, etc.; the dative omitted: John 7:46; John 8:19, 49, etc. πρός τινα, Acts 25:16. joined with φάναι, or λέγειν, or εἰπεῖν, in the form of a participle, as ἀποκριθείς εἶπε or ἔφη or λέγει: Matthew 4:4; Matthew 8:8; Matthew 15:13; Luke 9:19; Luke 13:2; Mark 10:3, etc.; or ἀπεκρίθη λέγων: Matthew 25:9, 37, 44; Luke 4:4 (R G L); (R G Tr marginal reading brackets); John 1:26; John 10:33 (Rec.); . But John far more frequently says ἀπεκρίθη καί εἶπε: John 1:48 (); (R G), , etc.

d. followed by the infinitive: Luke 20:7; followed by the accusative with infinitive: Acts 25:4; followed by ὅτι: Acts 25:16.

2. In imitation of the Hebrew עָנָה (Gesenius, Thesaurus ii., p. 1047) to begin to speak, but always where something has preceded (either said or done) to which the remarks refer (Winer's Grammar, 19): Matthew 11:25; Matthew 12:38; Matthew 15:15; Matthew 17:4; Matthew 22:1; Matthew 28:5; Mark 9:5 ( T Tr WH); ; Luke 14:3; John 2:18; John 5:17; Acts 3:12; Revelation 7:13. (the Sept. (Deuteronomy 26:5); Isaiah 14:10; Zechariah 1:10; Zechariah 3:4, etc.; 1 Macc. 2:17 1 Macc. 8:19; 2 Macc. 15:14.) (Compare: ἀνταποκρίνομαι.)